Tip for golfers: How to choose the golf ball that's right for you

My students often ask me which golf ball is best for them to use. Since there are so many different types on the market and new ones emerging every year, people aren’t sure if they are using the ball that best suits there game.

I tell my students to choose a ball carefully because the ball is a critical piece of equipment. It does make a difference what ball you use. So to make an educated buying decision, here are a few things you should know about golf balls.

Ball Compression
Compression refers to the consistency of the ball and golf ball manufactures usually designate a number to identify the compression of the ball. Golf balls come in 80, 90 and 100 compression.

To get your maximum distance when you hit the ball, you must compress the ball off the clubface at impact. When you strike the ball, the ball literally squeezes flat on to the clubface (the ball goes from being round to being oval or oblong). Compression is a function of club head speed (how fast you swing the club). The faster your club head speed the more you compress the ball. You need to compress the ball or it will not have enough energy to spring off the clubface and launch up into the air.

A ball that does not compress will feel hard when you hit and you may even feel vibration up the shaft into your hands. Besides feeling badly, the ball will not get up in the air and won’t fly far.

The average swing speed for a woman is between 65 and 85 mph and for men it is between 85 mph and 100 mph. If you are on the lower end of the swing speed scale choose a ball with lower compression. If you are on the higher end of the scale choose a ball with medium or higher compression. If you are using a ball with high compression and you swing slowly, you will not hit your maximum distance and you may even hit the ball shorter. Many people who never compress the ball feel the need to over swing and hit harder to get more distance, which can cause serious swing flaws.

Dimple Pattern
Dimples on golf balls were created when it was discovered that balls with a perfectly smooth surface did not travel as far as a ball with indentations. Therefore, dimples were placed on golf balls to generate more length. Golf ball manufactures create their own dimple patterns to affect the flight and trajectory of their ball to benefit the consumer.

The dimple pattern also affects the amount the ball spins after it is struck. The amount a ball spins determines how much it will curve (slice or hook) in flight and how well it holds on the green.

Most professional and low handicap players use balls that have a high spin ratio. That is because they want the ball to spin so that it will stop and not run off the green. The problem with a ball with a high spin ratio is that since it spins so much, it will also spin off line (left or right). This can be a problem for higher handicappers since they do not have as much control over the clubface at impact as the professional does. So controlling the direction of the ball is much more difficult. Someone who slices and hooks the ball excessively wants to stay a way from a ball that spins too much.

Manufactures have designed balls that so do not spin as much so that the ball will fly straighter if mis-hit, however, they do not stop on the green as well either. If you want more control over direction select a ball with a low spin ratio. If you can control the direction you hit the ball, you want to select a ball with a higher spin ratio.

Decide what you need most—long and straight or the ability to play different shots and the ability to stop the ball on the green.